


Below Freezing

by ChubuPeng



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Anxiety, Aquariums, Based in New York, Bonding, Depression, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Language Barrier, Marine Biology, NaNoWriMo 2019, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Second Person, Robots, pronouns of reader wont specifically be stated
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:54:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21611809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChubuPeng/pseuds/ChubuPeng
Summary: Due to recent advancements in technology, deep ocean explorations have uncovered some secrets. With the discovery of mermaids, many all over head to the nearest aquarium in hopes of seeing one on display.Seeing one up close is one thing, but what about working with them? Because of their aggressive nature, they are deemed too dangerous to handle. This forces their human caretakers to resort to harsher methods.When you are suddenly given the task of working with two of them, how will things turn out?
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Comments: 12
Kudos: 16





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and thank you for clicking on this. The first few chapters were written during NaNoWriMo. I had been putting off writing my story for a while now but this month I've been writing daily and I'm proud of how much I was able to write. This is a story with mermaids. None of that magical stuff or any human/mer romance. This story explores things more realistically. With all that said, I hope you enjoy.

**_Date: ???_ ** ****__  
**_Time: ???_ ** ****__  
_  
_ _"W-woah! Easy there, buddy." The man struggled in an attempt to control the creature in the net. It kept thrashing, not afraid to put up a fight with the human. The man barely dodged the claws that swept at him as he got close. They were much sharper and deadlier than human nails. It'd be wise to keep a fair distance from the vicious animal. It seemed disappointed when the human stepped out of its reach._

_He still couldn't help but tease the poor thing. "Heh. Feisty little thing, aren't ya?" The man made sure to end that statement with a smirk, hoping to get a reaction out of the creature. He seemed to have struck a nerve, as he received a bunch of hisses in return along with a glare. The man was about to annoy the creature further when he heard footsteps approaching along the deck._

_"You should get your nose out of its face before it gets clawed off," his assistant warned. Crossing her arms, she stood next to him to observe their catch. There was no mistaking it. This was indeed what the two were looking for several miles out at sea. It had started storming just a few hours ago._

_With the waves crashing violently against the ship, getting back to shore would be no easy task. However, it was important that they get back in one piece along with their prize._

_The man rolled his eyes. "What's it gonna do? Glare me to death?" he chuckled._

_"If you continue to aggravate it, sure," she sighed, shaking her head. "Anyways, it shouldn't take us too long to reach shore. This storm is nothing compared to the one last week."_

_The last time they had been out searching, they had to return early as it was extremely difficult to navigate the ship with the harsh waves and heavy downpour. Defeated, they had returned to their boss with the bad news. He threatened to cut their paycheck if they didn't get what he wanted soon. Right now, both of them are determined to make it back safely, preferably without getting bitten or clawed to death by the beast._

_"Are you sure this is the one?" The man questioned. He didn't want to get his hopes up. After all, the two have spent so long searching. Their boss had told them to look in an area out at sea that was glowing light blue. It wasn't too bright when they came above the spot. In fact, it seemed almost turquoise due to how dark the water was._

_She scoffed. "Of course I'm sure. Those glowing patterns on it proves it." She gestured towards the net containing the animal._

_From the waist up, the creature had several markings on it. They all emitted a bright blue glow, similar to bio-luminescent fish. Three on each side of its abdomen, two on its forehead, two on the sides of its jaw, and three large patterns on its chest. Unlike the rest, the ones on its chest did not appear as stripes. It formed a certain pattern that somewhat resembled a chestplate. Its body was mainly white with several black stripes along its tail, fins, horns, and spines. It appeared to resemble a lionfish as the spines running along its back were a dead giveaway._

_Like all lionfish, its spines would contain a deadly venom. The two humans don't have any medical equipment that would be able to treat the toxin should things go wrong, so they had to be careful and not agitate it too much._

_Currently, the creature had its spines raised up high, though it could only raise them so much as the netting was restricting them. The creature's jaw was clenched. Its mouth was parted slightly, allowing some of its fangs to be visible. They were much sharper than a human's set of teeth. Its eyes never left its captors as if watching their every movement. Its body was tense and it was willing to strike at any moment if necessary._

_The man couldn't help but laugh at this. "Ah, how cute. It's trying to be intimidating." The creature seemed to have picked up on the man's tone. It didn't seem pleased that it was being mocked. It fanned out its ear fins and tried to raise its spines up further._

_"Enough," the woman said sternly. "We can have our fun later. Right now let's just focus on getting back." She then looked up at the sky. Rain continued to pour down, almost never ending. "Come, I'm getting sick of this rain." She started moving towards the stairs that lead below the deck._

_"You're no fun," the man grumbled as he followed her. "I was hoping to snag a few scales off of it."_

_"Even if we could, the thing doesn't even have any scales. Lionfish don't have scales."_

_"Seriously? This better be worth it then..." The man trailed off, trying not to sound too disappointed. The two of them made their way downstairs to where their beds are. Both of them were exhausted and had agreed to take shifts to keep an eye on the creature. The ship had been set on autopilot to take them back to shore._

_The man made his way to one of the beds. He took off his jacket and hat and hung them on one of the hooks along the wall. He climbed into the sheets and was immediately knocked out._

_The woman took off her wet coat and set it aside on a nearby desk. Sleeping was tempting right now, but one of them had to stay awake. She would have to check on the creature from time to time to make sure it hasn't died on them. Those gills needed to stay hydrated. Most species of its kind seemed to be capable of breathing on land, though only for a short period of time. She didn't know how that was possible but she didn't question it any further._

_She took a seat as her feet were screaming at her to sit down. She began to sift through the piles of paperwork and folders before revealing a tablet underneath. They were instructed to contact the boss once they've secured the creature. The woman was somewhat dreading this moment, as the boss was unpredictable at times when it came to his emotional outbursts._

_She turned on the tablet, and pressed on his contacts. He picked up almost immediately._

_"...Do you have it?" He said bluntly. His hands were clasped together as he looked straight at the camera, awaiting an answer. It was a bit unsettling._

_"Yes. It's what you were looking for."_

_"...Good. You haven't harmed it now, have you?"_

_She shook her head. "No. It's too dangerous to get close to anyway."_

_Her boss chuckled grimly. A sinister smile appeared on his face. "Don't worry. I'll be sure to get it to behave soon." Those words sent chills down her spine. Just what was he planning on doing with it?_

_"...Sir, what are you going to do with it, exactly?"_

_She flinched as he suddenly slammed a fist down onto the table. The thud was almost deafening. She quickly glanced behind her to see if her brother had woken up from that. He hadn't. He was still fast asleep. She turned her attention back towards the screen._

_"I didn't hire you two for you to pry. Keep in mind who's paying you," he warned her. "Bring it back in one piece. Don't keep me waiting any longer." With that final message, he ended the call, leaving the woman to stare at the screen, speechless._

_Her boss was intimidating, without a doubt. She couldn't help but wonder what his true intentions were for the creature. But, she and her brother are just doing their job...right? Why should she care what happens to it, as long as the two of them get paid? She rubbed her eyes as the tablet went into sleep mode, causing the room to go dim._

_Maybe she was just tired. She shouldn't be having these thoughts in her head. She shouldn't be feeling sympathetic towards the thing. These things were monsters. The media has always portrayed them as violent and vicious creatures that attacked humans without any hesitation. And that is what she would keep telling herself, for as long as she kept working on these jobs with her brother._


	2. Heated Shoulders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Dennis, what have I told you about taking off without me?" He attempted to scold the robot. It didn't seem too keen on listening to its master as it showed no sign of acknowledgement. It continued to gaze forward, uninterested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, NaNoWriMo is over. While it did help me get started with my story, it was quite exhausting. I won't be writing daily from this point on, but I'll do my best to continue this when I can. Anyway, here's another chapter that I've already wrote.

**Date: March 4th 2039** **  
** **Time:** **8:49 AM** **  
** **Coastline Aquarium - Front Entrance** **  
****  
**As soon as you stepped off the bus, you felt a sense of dread wash over you. Saying you were nervous was a severe understatement. However, you couldn't just back out now. You needed this job otherwise you wouldn't be able to pay your bills this month. While you could have probably taken up a slightly less stressful job, you decided not to let your work experience go to waste.

After seeing that Coastline Aquarium was hiring, you figured that you should give it a shot. You've worked with animals for a while and weren't about to let all your years of studying be for nothing. You took a deep breath, trying to calm your nerves and muster up what little courage you had left in you to make it through this interview. It was before opening hours, meaning the only people here were probably a few staff members.

Luckily for you, the aquarium was no more than a few feet away from the bus stop. This interview was going to be a piece of cake. Just walk in there with your head held up high and nothing would go wrong. At least you hoped so, because this was a rather large aquarium with pretty high security. It was stated on their website that they had security drones flying overhead at night as well as beefy security robots equipped with all sorts of tools necessary for the job.

There was quite a lot of staff on the team, although not much as there used to be. As technology improved over the years, robots were designed more effectively. This put many out of their jobs since machines could do the same task in a shorter amount of time. Backlash was inevitable, but consider yourself lucky for even being called in for an interview.

This was your chance. Just relax and get it over with. That job would be yours. Even if you got stuck working at the touch pools or something, it would still better than nothing. While there are some interesting creatures like stingrays or sea stars to interact with, it's not nearly as exciting as feeding a dolphin or training a sea lion. Not to mention all the children you'd have to deal with since touch pools mainly appeal to a younger audience. What kid wouldn't want to pet a stingray after all?   
  


As you made it to the front entrance, a sea-green rectangular arch stands over you, displaying the letters of the aquarium's name in white. Its pillars were decorated with coral and fish designs with kelp reaching the top. It seemed to be resembling a coral reef environment. The metal railing next to it seemed to stretch around the entire area. You assumed that this was the only possible entrance. However, it appeared to be locked by a heavy metal gate. As you stepped closer to the gate, you saw a sign on it that read:  **Due to maintenance, Coastline Aquarium won't be open for a while. We apologize for any inconvenience. For more information, please contact our website.**

Well, that explained the locked gate, you supposed.

You glanced to the right of the gate. There was a full height green turnstile that you guessed was for the employees to go through. Connected to it is a slot for cards to swipe through. Looks like you were not getting through that either. You assumed someone would let you in...eventually.

A cold breeze brushed past you, sending a shiver down your spine. While it was March, the temperature still felt like it was winter. Hopefully you wouldn't have to wait outside for too long.

You fished out your phone from your pocket. As you turned it on, the clock read  **8:56 AM** . Your interview was in four minutes.

Just as you were about to lose hope, you heard a faint whirring sound, as well as an unlocking sound. You looked up to see the gate unlocked, doors wide open. You nearly dropped your phone in shock as you weren't prepared to see a 6 foot robot glaring down at you. Across the robot's shoulders, you saw two arms clinging on to it for dear life. After a moment, the person behind the machine shakily pushed themselves up and sat on top of the robot's left shoulder. He appeared to be rather young and you wondered if he's your employer or just some unfortunate employee. You decided to go with the former option.

" _ Dennis _ , what have I told you about taking off without me?" He attempted to scold the robot. It didn't seem too keen on listening to its master as it showed no sign of acknowledgement. It continued to gaze forward, uninterested.

The robot was certainly buff in size. Its torso makes up most of its body mass, either to appear more intimidating or to store its components. Attached on the front seemed to be some sort of gray armor plating with white bold letters printed on it that said " **SECURITY** ". It had those futuristic cyclops sunglasses that are common on robot designs in sci-fi movies as well as a hinged jaw, which probably packed a powerful bite.

The security robot lacked legs and was currently hovering in place. You wondered how such a heavy-looking piece of machinery could levitate and get around with no moving parts below it.

The young man adjusted himself in a more comfortable position before making eye contact with you. He had short blond hair and wore an expensive-looking black wool coat along with matching black leather gloves. "You must be here for the interview, correct? Many apologies for not being here sooner. I had some rather important matters to attend to," he said as he was adjusting his gloves.

Due to his tone and the cheeky grin he flashed, you had a feeling those matters probably weren't so important.

"Well, shall we head on inside?" Before you could say a word, the robot lifted you onto its unoccupied shoulder, giving both humans a ride towards the aquarium building. You were about to protest when you felt yourself warming up from the cold. Was it somehow generating heat?

"Impressive right? I specifically asked for some heating to be installed into him. Keeps me quite toasty!" He gave Dennis a pat on its head, looking rather proud of his robot butler. You wondered if the reason the robot could generate this much heat was because its systems were overheating. Poor thing if that was the case.

You nodded, it is pretty impressive. You were hoping to see more of them when you were inside. From what you've recalled on the website, the staff team was mostly made up of these robots. An aquarium requires a large number of employees, which brings up the question as to why most of the staff has been laid off. Maybe that was something you could ask about later. Hopefully none of the human workers are overworking themselves.

As Dennis made his way towards the building, you took a deep breath to prepare yourself for what was about to come. From what you've seen so far, your employer seemed pretty laid back. Maybe things would go smoothly.

Dennis halted abruptly. The sudden stop almost threw you off his shoulder if you weren't clinging onto his head. He lowered himself to the ground slightly and brought both his human passengers down to the floor gently. The two of you followed behind him as he opened and held the glass doors for the both of you. You swiftly made your way inside the building, getting out of the harsh winter weather. As warm as the robot may be, he wouldn't be able to protect you from the cold winds.

The first thing you noticed was the front desk, probably where customers buy tickets from. There was dark blue carpet under your feet decorated with designs of sea creatures. Along one of the walls was a large map displaying various exhibits, gift shops, restrooms, as well as restaurants. Speaking of gift shops, one was located not too far from where you stand. It didn't appear to be open at the moment, but you were sure it was full of expensive merchandise that kids would desperately beg their parents to buy for them on the way out. There were a few T-shirt stands and several stuffed animals stocked up on the shelves. Perhaps you should check the place out later before you head out.

As you looked ahead of you, there was a turnstile that you assumed led to the rest of the aquarium. There was a robot that stood guard right next to it. One of its hands seemed to be equipped with a scanner, probably for tickets.

To the left of you, you saw a section blocked off with two security robots in front of a rope barrier. You assumed that area led to some of the staff facilities.

Your employer took off his coat—revealing a dark blue suit—and draped it over one of Dennis' arms. He removed both of his gloves and stuffed it in the coat pockets. You decided to keep your jacket on for convenience.

He fixed up his hair and cleared his throat before introducing himself.

"My name is Adrien Harris! I'm basically in charge of everything around here, well aside from my father, of course, but he's normally not around. Why? I don't know, but that doesn't really matter." His smile seemed to falter slightly at the mention of his father, but he quickly recomposed himself.

"Anyways, I know what you're thinking. You probably think I'm too young to be managing this whole place," he said. Somehow he hit the nail right on the head. "However! I've been working here for several years and I assure you I keep my staff and everything else running orderly."

You were not a fan of how prideful he was, but you had a feeling you could trust him.

"Now, before we go on ahead and start with the interview, let me just say one thing if you're ever accepted," Mr. Harris warned. The room suddenly felt colder as you felt his intense stare upon you. "While everyone is allowed to be quite casual with each other, unless in the presence of my father, I will not tolerate any disrespect or harassment among the staff. We are all here to do our jobs and I expect everyone to treat each other respectfully."

You nodded, agreeing with his words. It was a fair request. You were immediately given a smile in return.

He clapped his hands together. "Great! Now, shall we get started?" He quickly reverted back to his cheerful personality. It seemed like you would get along with him easily. In fact, you were quite looking forward to this interview now.

Mr. Harris tapped his knuckles against Dennis' stomach. The robot's mouth opened slightly and you saw a thin slot. You heard the sound of something being printed. After a few moments, a piece of paper comes out. You caught a glance at it and it looked like your resume. Mr. Harris took it out of Dennis' mouth and examined it to make sure it was printed correctly. Satisfied, he climbed onto one of Dennis' arms and seated himself comfortably on it. Dennis closed his mouth and readjusted the arm his master was in. He raised the arm slightly up to his torso. Now you would have to crane your neck in order to even see your employer, since he was now sitting up so high.

You wondered how this interview was going to work. You decided to ask him.

Mr. Harris looked up from your resume. "Hm? Oh, right. I was thinking we could talk as we walk around. That way you could have a lovely tour of our wonderful exhibits while I ask you questions!"

Well, that was unexpected, but you were not complaining. It was probably better than sitting in a boring office any day.

"I know, I know. No need to thank me. I'm always full of amazing ideas." You rolled your eyes as he was too busy flattering himself.

You followed Mr. Harris and Dennis towards the staff section of the aquarium. The two security robots moved aside to let the three of you pass. The only sounds audible in the area were your footsteps and Dennis' whirring.

You wondered if you should say something, before your employer finally spoke up. "So...what are your opinions on mers?" He eyed you warily.

The word "mer" is used when describing both mermaids and mermen in general. It was just easier than saying one or the other.

As for your opinions on them, you told him you don't mind dealing with them. While they are a handful and often times quite dangerous and unpredictable, you're interested in working with them. You wanted to give them a chance and not listen to what the media portrays them as.

Mr. Harris nodded, taking in what you had said. He looked back at the paper before asking you the next question. "What happened at the previous location you worked at? Of course, if you don't mind sharing that detail, that's fine, but it'll give me more to work with."

You told him you don't mind. While it was something you'd rather not remember, you figured it was worth sharing.

At the last location, things were going smoothly until mermaid you were working with was deemed too dangerous to train. The aquarium owner wanted you to teach it tricks to impress the audience. However, mers are not too keen on listening to humans, and are most likely to violently lash out. While you did your best to make sure she was in good health, you were eventually laid off. You had a long conversation with the owner, attempting to maintain your job, but to no avail. 

In the end, all you hoped was for the mermaid's new trainer to treat her well. You hoped she's alright. It's quite sickening how many trainers will resort to violent methods in order to get them to listen. In reality, mers don't work like that. The only way to get one to obey is for it to be broken completely, which is extremely inhumane.

You were passionate in your response and you hoped Mr. Harris was able to see that.

He was silent for a while, absorbing every word you said. He nodded slowly before giving you a slight smile. "I see. You were a diligent worker until the very end. You showed compassion to the mermaid even though she was being difficult"—he commanded Dennis to halt in his tracks in order to face you—"I admire that in you. I can see that you have true potential."

He offered his hand out for you to shake. Dennis lowered the arm his master is sitting in so that you were able to reach. You firmly grasped and shook his hand.

"I'll be looking forward to having you here," he said as Dennis placed his arm back in its original position. 

You offered your new boss a genuine smile. You tell him that you were extremely grateful for this opportunity.

"Of course, of course. No need to thank me," he chuckled somewhat boastfully. Mr. Harris pointed to the hall behind him. "Now, shall we see the two you're going to be working with?"

You followed Mr. Harris around as he gave you a tour around the staff area. Many of the employees were out doing their jobs, leaving most of the rooms empty. On the other hand, the food preparation room and laboratory were completely occupied with human and robotic workers. You received greetings from several friendly faces, wishing you good luck and congratulating you on getting the job. You still wondered why your boss hired you so quickly, but you decided not to ask him about it in case he changed his mind.

Finally, you were led to the final set of double doors. Your eyes focused on a sign next to the doors that read:  **Aquatic Animal Health Center** .

"Well, here we are!" Mr. Harris slid off of Dennis' arm and landed on the ground. He straightened his tie and smoothed out his suit before heading towards the door. You looked at Dennis expectantly, who did not appear to be following his master.

"Ah, he's not coming with us. I figured he'd frighten our patients." he said after noticing your confusion. That made sense. Any animal would be terrified of a giant robot hovering over them. Your boss pushed one of the doors open, holding it for you. "After you." he said politely. You thanked him and head on inside. He carefully shut the door behind him, making sure it didn't produce a loud sound. You immediately noticed how much warmer it was in here than the other rooms you've visited. You unzip your jacket slightly in order to cool down a bit.

As the two of you passed through another set of double doors, two examination tables—along with all sorts of surgical equipment—came into view. On top of each table was a mer, both fairly large in size. You weren't sure what specific species they were, but you were able to figure out that one is a manta ray and the other is a lionfish.

The mers had several tubes attached to their gills, most likely supplying them with oxygen and medication. Each of them had an IV inserted in a vein in their arm. A leather strap went across their stomachs to prevent them from falling off the table. Both were hooked up to a series of machines that monitored their heart rate and breathing. Right now, they both seemed to be in stable condition.

The manta ray was lying on its back, due to its gills being located on its chest. Its two wing-like pectoral fins attached to its back hung limply off the sides of the examination table, due to the sheer size of them. Like all manta rays, on the sides of the mer's mouth were two cephalic lobes which are used to direct water and food into their mouths. Its tail was incredibly long, which also hung off the end of the table. For some reason, this mer had two black spikes on top of its head, which actual manta rays lack. Perhaps it's some sort of evolutionary trait. Fins were also located behind its ears, which most mer species possess. These fins are currently in a relaxed state. The front of the mer was mainly white, with the exception of occasional black spot patterns.

Currently, there were bandages over its eyes. You wondered what had happened to it before it arrived here. Hopefully it's heading towards a healthy recovery. Thankfully it didn't seem to be in any pain due to anesthetic drugs being pumped into its system.

On the other table, the lionfish mer was receiving the same treatment. It was positioned on its stomach so that the tubes could have easy access to its gills on its neck and also so it could lie comfortably due to the venomous spines on its back. You made a quick mental note to stay far away from them. You weren't sure if antidotes were readily available yet for venomous mer species. 

This mer was slightly smaller than the other one. Similar to the manta ray, it's dominant colors are white and black. Along its tail, fins, horns, and spines are several black stripes. These stripes warn any predators that might be looking for a meal to avoid it at all costs. On the mer's face, you noticed some light blue glowing markings, however they did not appear to be glowing very brightly at the moment. As you took a closer look at the mer, you winced as you noticed several bruises and cut marks all over its body. Fortunately, most of them seemed to have been disinfected and are healing up nicely.

You pondered for a moment wondering what could have caused it to be in such a state. It didn't seem like it had obtained these injuries in the wild. Clearly, somebody had cruel intentions with it. Its hand would twitch and clench once in a while. You wondered if the anesthesia was close to wearing off.

You and your boss both made your way around the tables. Mr. Harris studied them carefully. "Fascinating, aren't they?" He whispered as to not disturb the two creatures. The last thing you needed was for at least one of them to start lashing out due to fear. Mer claws and teeth are not to be messed with.

You had to agree, the mers were remarkably stunning. However, one question kept lingering in the back of your head: What happened to them?

Mr. Harris looked at the mers sadly and sighed. "Well, it's just another example of how cold-hearted some humans can be. The manta ray, I believe, was purchased by some irresponsible prick who decided it was wise to have the mer live in his pool. Unfortunately, he did a terrible job of rinsing out properly before setting the mer in it." His gaze wandered to the bandages over the mer's eyes before continuing. "I assume that the chemicals in the water slowly started damaging its eyes and gills. It has already sought extensive medical care prior to its arrival here. Right now, we're monitoring its health to make sure it's recovering smoothly before we can allow it to be transferred into a tank."

Your boss gestured towards the other mer. "As for the lionfish, well..." He trailed off. He seemed a bit hesitant on telling you. "I shouldn't really be disclosing this information to you, as we're still investigating more into this situation." His eyes darted around the room, as if making sure nobody else is listening in. "The truth is, a vehicle randomly dropped it off in a tank near the front entrance one night. A couple of security drones seemed to have spotted them and alerted our systems. Immediately an investigation went underway, but I've told the police to keep somewhat quiet about this. I don't need any reporters or journalists interfering."

Mr. Harris paused for a moment, contemplating his next words. He appeared a bit troubled. 

You asked him how severe the mer's injuries are. You only received a slight shrug in return.

"I'm afraid my knowledge is only limited to that of the head veterinarian's. Speaking of, just where  _ is _ she?" He muttered the last part under his breath almost impatiently. You see him reach for a device attached to his wrist. He was about to input something when you heard the double doors swing open. 

A woman with blond hair tied in a long braid. She wore blue scrubs and had a clipboard in hand which she proceeded to set on a surgical tray. She looked very exhausted. Her tired eyes focused on you for a moment before turning her attention to Mr. Harris.

"Ah, there you are. I was about to send Dennis to search for you," he said with a grin.

"After what happened last time, I'd prefer that  _ thing _ to be a hundred yards from me." You were curious about what she was referring to but now didn't seem like the time. 

"Oh, you're just too cold on him. He's a sweetheart," he said. The woman didn't seem convinced as she rolled her eyes at his statement.

"Your 'sweetheart' tased you after you kept kept hitting his chest when he was clearly growing sick of it."

That statement seemed to have struck a nerve. You swore you saw his face heat up for a second. "Careful, Dr. Soja. It'd be a shame if your pay was docked this week," he said with a forced smile. He quickly regained his composure as there were more important matters at hand. "Anyways, all jokes aside"—he glanced at the two mers—"how are their conditions?"

The woman—Dr. Soja—went over to examine both of the patients. "Well, they're showing improvements." She grabbed a clipboard that was laying on top of a surgical trolley. She flipped through several pages before landing on one. "I was able to determine both of their species: Giant oceanic manta ray and a black volitan lionfish," she said as she studied the pages intensely. "However, I'm not sure as to what those markings are on the lionfish." You wondered if it could be some sort of mutation or perhaps a rare breed. Whatever it is, you hope someone finds out about it soon.

"I see. Will they be ready to get transferred soon?" Mr. Harris asked.

Dr. Soja nodded. "Of course. Though, I am worried if they'll even get along. Male mers, especially lionfish mers, tend to get extremely territorial and aggressive with each other."

"Oh? How do you know they're male?" he teased.

She sighed, rolling her eyes. " _ I've checked _ ." You almost snickered at your boss' immaturity.

Her attention turned to you. "I assume you're the new employee starting...?" She trailed off, looking at Mr. Harris expectantly. 

"Monday," he answered.

"Yes, Monday. Is that correct?" she asked. You nodded. You asked her if there was any more information you need to know about the mers. You also add if there was anything you should be worried about.

"Honestly, they seem like they'll be able to make it. For the manta ray, most of the damage is in his eyes and gills. He may have trouble getting adjusted to the water in the enclosure, but he should fare just fine. As for his vision, there may be permanent damage."

You asked if the mer is still capable of seeing. She hesitated before answering. "...I'm not entirely sure. Whether or not he bumps into things around the enclosure, we'll be able to come to a conclusion then. If you want my honest opinion, the most he could possibly see are shapes and blurs." 

Working with a mer is already a difficult task in itself, but working with one that's almost blind? That's going to be rough. You hope he'll be able to cooperate with you due to his limited vision. Your main concern is the lionfish mer, who seemed to be slowly stirring. His tail twitched slightly.

Dr. Soja flipped to another page on her clipboard before continuing. "As for the lionfish, he does not seem fond of humans. Considering how injured he was when we found him, it's best to not touch him unless absolutely necessary. It's possible he might panic and end up hurting you."

"Doctor," Mr. Harris interrupted. "speaking of that, haven't you ordered a shipment of antivenin for the mer? I'd rather not have any casualties." You found it somewhat concerning how they haven't had any in the lab beforehand. You also hoped you didn't end up dying on the first day of your job.

"Yes, it should be arriving"—she checked the clock on the wall—"in a few minutes actually." Well, how convenient.

Mr. Harris seemed satisfied. "Splendid. I'll head out with Dennis to see if anyone has arrived yet." He made his way towards the double doors before coming to a halt. "Oh and after you're done here, come meet me in my office. I'll send Dennis to come get you," he told you and then made his departure.

After your boss left, you see Dr. Soja had been busy running a wet sponge over the manta ray's skin and tail. It didn't appear like she was up for anymore questions. While she looked incredible exhausted, she still seemed determined in helping these mers.

You wondered if you should say something when suddenly you heard the sound of glass shattering. A glass beaker on the surgical trolley was knocked over by the lionfish mer's tail. He definitely looked wide awake now. He was currently flailing around on the table, however, the strap across its stomach prevented it from escaping.

"Shit," you heard Dr. Soja swear under her breath. "Quickly, grab that towel"— she pointed at a nearby table—"and place it over his head. I'm going to sedate him.

You rushed over to grab the white towel. The veterinarian prepared a syringe for the injection. The mer was clearly in distress. He continued to hiss at the two humans surrounding him.

You noticed that only his tail is waving around wildly, the rest of his body lying stiff. You believed his upper body muscles were still weak, which explains why he was incapable of even moving his arms to slash at you. However, you did not complain as this made it easier for you to place a towel over his head, shielding his eyes from everything around him. It was still quite difficult as he tried to throw you off multiple times. You kept a firm hold on the towel, being careful of his sharp horns.

He eventually calmed down enough that his tail went still and the hisses stopped. He was now trembling under your hands. This gave Dr. Soja enough time to inject the needle into his arm.

The mer flinched slightly but made no further movements. The effects of the drug occurred after a few moments. The mer relaxed his body. You and Dr. Soja both let out a sigh of relief. Taking the towel off, you noticed the mer was still conscious, though just barely. His eyes were half-lidded and his gaze seemed unfocused. Unlike in movies, sedatives don't work instantly. It would probably take him a while until he fell back asleep again.

"Thank you for helping. I don't know what would've happened if you weren't here." She went ahead and disposed of the needle properly. She grabbed the sponge from earlier and continues to hydrate the manta ray mer. "I can handle things from here. You should probably go see what the boss wants."

You hesitated, mostly because Dr. Soja looked extremely tired. She waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry, I'll take a break when I can. Plus I'm sure the other vets will take over for me." As you were about to leave, you heard her mutter something along the lines of "Adrien better pay me extra this week...Maybe I'll tell Christine to have Dennis disobey him for one day...Heh, that'll be fun."

You tried your best to ignore that and head on out. Immediately, you came face-to-face with the massive robot again. The two of you stared at each other before he finally turned and started leading you to Mr. Harris' office.

After a while of walking, the two of you made it to your destination. Mr. Harris let the both of you inside and told you to sit down. He discussed with you your available hours, what benefits you would be receiving, and your starting salary. Things went pretty smoothly, you had to admit. After that, he snapped his fingers. You saw Dennis exit the room before coming back inside with a small cardboard box. He set it down on your boss' desk.

Mr. Harris gestured towards the box. "Here are some of the things you'll be needing." You opened the lid of the box, revealing several items: an ID card, some clothes—you assume it's your uniform, and a watch-like device that looked like the one your boss has on. Now that you think about it, you believe you saw Dr. Soja wearing one as well. Does every staff member here have one on them?

"First up: your ID. I'm sure you've noticed the turnstiles next to the entrance, correct?" You nodded. "Well, that's where you—including other employees—will be getting in from. Not only that, but it's also your way of clocking in." That's pretty nifty. Speaking of the entrance, you asked him about the maintenance sign that was in front of the gate.

"Ah, the maintenance. It's really nothing to be concerned about, but since you asked, I will gladly explain the situation." Mr. Harris opened one of the desk drawers and proudly pulled out a sketchbook. He flipped past a couple of pages before stopping and turning it around to show you. On the page is a crude drawing of what you presume to be two robots next to each other. Over the left robot is a big red X and over the right one is a green check-mark. The lines had been hastily colored in, leading you to believe he made this just recently.

He pointed to the drawing as he explained. "Currently, we're experiencing technical difficulties in our robotic employees, mainly the security ones. For some reason, their sensors have been blocked, preventing them from detecting anything or anyone. It's happened quite recently, actually and we're still trying to figure out the source. That would explain why there were none guarding the aquarium's gates." You pondered for a moment. This was rather peculiar. You decided to question him about the security drones. He seemed prepared for that question as he turned to another page.

The page showed a drawing of a security drone. It seemed even less detailed than the first drawing, but you didn't blame him as drones are pretty complicated to draw. "The drones did not look like they were tampered with. One of our head roboticists"—he flipped to the next page showing a stick figure with a wrench and a small robot next to it—"can confirm that. She believes that it's just some bizarre bug going around that's only affecting those models." 

You had a feeling something sinister is going on. Could it be connected to the strange vehicle dropping off the lionfish mer on that one night? You shake your head, clearing these thoughts. You were probably overthinking it. It’s not uncommon for machinery to require repairs once in a while. You decided to accept the idea that it was probably just a malfunction.

"Anyway," he continued, flipping to another page showing a bunch of people standing in front of a gate. "once we have all that sorted, the robots should be up and running again. Then we can finally start allowing people in." Mr. Harris closed the sketchbook and set it aside. He then reached inside the box, grabbed the watch-like device, and set it on his desk. Just like his, yours also had a purple case around the black screen. He powered it on and the aquarium's logo appeared: a light blue silhouette of a large wave going against a coastline. 

Once it was on, you saw a few applications on screen. "This is one of our finest pieces of technology," Mr. Harris stated pridefully, holding his head up high. "For convenience, I call it the Communicator. You will find it to be quite handy." He went through several of the apps as he continued on with his explanation.

"It has a variety of functions. You could request aid from a security or first-aid robot, receive important messages from me, look up a map of the aquarium, and you could even keep in contact with other staff members via messaging or video call as long as they've given you permission of course. I expect you to not get sidetracked by chatting away with another employee, right? This serves as a way to contact your coworkers if you're in need of some assistance, something the robots can't help with." 

This was a lot of information to take in. Hopefully you understood all of that. You were impressed at how expensive it looked. How much did it cost to make? You were pretty excited about using it on Monday. 

"I've already set it up for you so you don't need to worry about putting in all of your information. Should you ever lose it and request a new one, please note it will be coming out of your next paycheck," he said sternly and passed you your Communicator. 

You pocketed both the ID and Communicator in your coat pocket, zipping it up for extra safety. Finally, the last thing in the box was a uniform. You had to stand up from your chair to examine it. There was a blue jacket with a white stripe running along each sleeve and a pair of long beige pants. "Lastly, this will be your uniform. Due to how ridiculously cold it is, this will serve to keep you warm. Of course if you're still feeling cold wearing that, you're allowed to wear layers underneath, as long as you're still in uniform," he said. He then proceeded to snap his fingers again, causing Dennis to leave the room, returning with several piles of extra staff uniform. You moved out of the way slightly so the robot could drop the clothes into the cardboard box. 

Mr. Harris stood up from his chair and made his way around the desk. He motioned Dennis over. The robot grabbed the roll of duct tape that was sitting at a nearby table and began taping up the box for you. "Inside are a few extra pairs of clothing. After all, things could get messy when working with mers," he said with a smirk, hands behind his back. He started making his way towards the doors. You was your cue to follow him. The robot also trailed behind you with the box in his hands. 

Suddenly you heard the sound of something vibrating. A phone perhaps? Your question was confirmed when you saw Mr. Harris pat his suit pocket worriedly. He contemplated whether or not he should pick up. He was quickly growing more nervous as he continued to ignore the phone call, focusing his attention on you instead. 

"Well, I believe this is the end of our discussion," he quickly spoke, faking a smile. Mr. Harris turned towards the robot. " _ Dennis _ ," he commanded. Dennis dropped the box in your arms rather abruptly. The force almost caused you to drop it as you weren't exactly expecting that. 

Your boss opened the door for you so you could leave. "If you have any questions, don't be afraid to email me. Don't forget, same time on Monday: 9 AM. Don't be late," he spoke quite rapidly as if reading a sheet of instructions. You nodded, promising him. 

As you were about to exit into the halls, Mr. Harris said one last thing. "Oh, and one last thing," he paused. The buzzing stopped. He hesitated for a second. "...come see me again in my office again before your shift. You'll know who to look for." He gestured up at his robotic butler behind him. "Well, have a wonderful day!" And with that, he shut the door in a hurry. You found his behavior strange, but didn't try to question it too much as you made your way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not entirely sure how aquariums work. I haven't been to one in a long time. Of course, this is all just for fun. I try to keep things realistic but not too realistic. As you've seen, some things that took place in this chapter are quite ridiculous and would most likely not take place in real life, but I just thought it'd be funny to write it like that.
> 
> So, any thoughts?  
> Comments are appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	3. Fainting Spells and Two Difficult Mermen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You were stumped. The mermaid you've previously worked with ate fish without a problem. Perhaps the mers ate something different or were they just extremely picky?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update, because I felt like it. Enjoy!
> 
> If I accidentally left out anything (because some parts I set them aside and came back to write later) please let me know!

**Date: Monday - March 7th, 2039** **  
****Time: 8:25 AM** **  
****Coastline Aquarium - Food Prep Room**

His hands were trembling, which was extremely dangerous as he had a knife in his left hand. The dull ache in his head was now unbearable, to the point where it made concentration impossible. He had this headache as soon as he woke up this morning. He figured it would go away eventually, but it still lingered.

He wanted to go back home, back into bed. He was so exhausted. He hadn't slept much that night—which was entirely his own fault—but he just couldn't sleep that night, not when his mind was wracked with all sorts of negative thoughts.

Maybe he should take a break. Maybe he should step out for a moment. The room was a bit stuffy, after all. Perhaps he would feel better if he just had some fresh air. He just needed to finish cutting this fish. He could make it through a few more minutes...

* * *

"Shit! Hey, are..?" Someone was speaking over him. He didn't know what was going on. He couldn't hear the rest of the sentence.

"What happened?"

"I don't... He was... strangely... just fell over!" Fell? Who fell? Was it him? Probably. His right side does feel a bit achy.

Everything was dark. He couldn't open his eyes. Just thinking about it made him more drowsy. He was so tired...It was as if all the energy had been drained from his body. Maybe if he just lied here for a moment. The floor felt quite comfortable. This was probably just a bad dream. Once he woke up, he would find himself in his bed, not possibly dying on the floor somewhere.

He heard several footsteps and the sound of whirring, most likely from the helper robots. On second thought, perhaps it wasn't a dream. He certainly didn't remember having any robots at his house, or other people for that matter.

He felt his hand get moved. Someone must be examining it.

"...knife away. I think...hurt himself..." someone spoke. He cut himself? Well, that explained the sharp pain in his forefinger.

"Take him to... She'll... what to do." Whatever they were saying, he didn't hear the rest of it.

Suddenly, he felt his body being lifted. His arms were positioned in a way that he assumed two people were supporting him on each side. His body felt heavy, his legs dragging across the floor as he felt himself being moved.

His head was still hurting tremendously. It seemed to get worse by the minute. Maybe if he just drifted off for a moment. It would certainly ease the pain for a bit.

The last thing he remembered was cool air hitting his skin, probably from exiting the food prep room.

* * *

**Date: Monday - March 7th, 2039** **  
****Time: 8:57 AM** **  
****Coastline Aquarium - Front Entrance**

You arrived at the aquarium a bit later than last time, but you were still on-time. You had almost forgotten that Dennis was supposed to escort you. When the giant robot was waiting right beside the turnstiles as you entered, you nearly had a heart attack as he did a pretty good job of concealing himself behind the wall. He didn't make any sound when he noticed you, only creepily staring at you until he seemed to recognize you.

You met up with Mr. Harris in his office, just like he had told you. He told you the location of the mer enclosure, which he then marked on the map on your Communicator. He explained a couple of things about the office building near the enclosure. There you would be able to monitor the mers and record data on them. There was also a bucket of fish sitting on the floor. Someone must have delivered it here a while ago.

You also had several wetsuits hanging on a rack in the bathroom. Back at the previous aquarium, you were not afraid of getting into the same waters as the mermaid. However, this time you felt a bit uneasy about the thought of swimming with a venomous mer. 

Fortunately, the weather warmed up slightly over the weekend. Once you finished changing into your uniform, you head out of the office with a bucket in hand. It was filled almost to the brim with fish. Unfortunately, you still never got used to the unpleasant smell of dead fish. 

The back of the mer enclosure was surrounded by several rocky walls. Along the front of the enclosure were glass fence panels that separated it from the viewing area. The panels were high enough to prevent kids from climbing over, but low enough for most teens and adults to reach over and pet the mers. Though, you wouldn't advise anyone to be coming in close contact with the lionfish mer. Perhaps the manta ray mer was friendly enough to allow visitors to pet him, but you weren't going to risk the chance of a visitor losing a finger. 

The pool was somewhat of an oval shape. In the middle of it was a much smaller and shallower pool, surrounded by rock platforms. There was an opening in the front where the mers could swim through underneath. This area was probably going to be used when you needed to deal with the mers in a more controlled environment. 

You were starting to see visitors coming into the aquarium, though this was only a small number of them. Since it was the beginning of March, you assumed most people were either at school or work. However, you weren't complaining as having a large number of people around the mer enclosure on the first day of their transport was probably going to stress the creatures out. You decided to focus on your job instead of worrying about the small group that was beginning to approach the enclosure. 

You walked to the middle of the pool, standing on some of the rock platforms. You kneeled on the edge of the rocks, setting the bucket of fish next to you. To any bystander, it would've seemed like nothing was in the water. However, you just believed the mers were lurking around near the bottom of the tank. You placed your hand in the cold water, giving an experimental flick. You braced yourself as you knew what was going to happen next. A mer darted through the water at almost lightning speed. You drew your hand back as it was centimeters away from being in the mouth of the lionfish mer. Whether he thought your hand was food or was just looking for a fight, you weren't sure. Whatever the case was, you knew the mer wouldn't hesitate drawing blood.

You glanced up and noticed some of the visitors pointing in your direction. Some had even taken out their phones and started recording. You looked back at the mer, who seemed to be glaring at you. His head was slightly poking out of the water, just enough so that his gills were still submerged. His fins were fanned out, showing a defensive state. You gave the mer some distance and backed away. He lowered his spines slightly, but remained visibly tense. The glowing patterns on him looked much brighter than a few days ago. You still weren't sure what those were for, but assumed they showed how healthy the mer was. 

You then noticed he began looking curiously at the bucket next to you. His ears twitched slightly. You took this chance to experimentally toss a fish into the water. The mer flinched back slightly at your sudden movement. He cautiously observed the food you've thrown in the water before grabbing the fish in his mouth and going back underwater. You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding. Well, at least you didn't get mauled right off the bat. As long as you were careful, the mer shouldn't attack you. 

As you went to grab another fish for whenever the lionfish mer resurfaced, you heard a splash nearby. You turned to your right and saw the manta ray mer peeking his head out of the water. The bandages were no longer over his eyes. You tried to stay still in an attempt to not startle him. He slowly approached the edge of the platform, hands out in front of him to support himself. It seemed like he still had some vision intact, though just barely. 

You offered him a fish in one hand, waiting for him to take it. He pushed himself higher, enough that his shoulders were out of the water. Since his gills were located on his torso, he was able to allow more of his body to leave the water. He began examining the fish in your hand, sniffing it carefully. He backed away from your hand with a displeased expression, leading you to believe he wasn't interested. The mer then slowly sank back into the water and swam off. You raised a brow. You recalled actual manta rays having a diet of fish. You were sure mers weren't too much different from their more fish-like counterparts.

You were stumped. The mermaid you've previously worked with ate fish without a problem. Perhaps the mers ate something different or were they just extremely picky?

Your thoughts were interrupted when you saw a figure approaching the pool. The person was wearing a lab coat and safety goggles. You assumed he was probably one of the researchers. He was carrying a long funnel-shaped net and a medium sized fish. Upon closer inspection, the fish was actually a robot. You noticed the man was slightly shivering, probably regretting not wearing anything else over his lab coat. It looked like he came out in a hurry. He came up to greet you, slightly out of breath.

"Hey, you're the newbie, right?" He had messy brown hair and a friendly smile. You told him today was your first day on the job and that you were put in charge of the mers. You explained to him that one of them was a lionfish mer and the other was a manta ray mer. His expression lit up and he couldn't contain his glee.

"Woah! You get to work with two of them? That's incredible!" He was nearly shaking with excitement. You had a hunch he was very passionate about mers and you couldn't blame him.

"The name's Lucas Grenon"—he adjusted his safety goggles—"but some call me Luke. You're welcome to call me either," he grinned and gave you a rather tight handshake. You pointed to the equipment in his hands and questioned what he was going to do with those.

"Oh! I'm so glad you asked! Allow me to explain," he held up the robot closer for you to see. "This is _SoFi_ , a soft robotic fish! This little fella here helps with our data collection!" Lucas gave the fish a pat on its head. "Diving into the tanks isn't always the safest option, you know, which is why this robot comes in handy. Here, have a look at it!"

Lucas pushed the robotic fish into your arms—which almost made you stumble backwards—and allowed you to examine it more closely. It felt rather light and soft in your hands. The outer layer of it was colored white and on the front of its head was a singular camera lens. It looked like your typical fish except near where its gills should be are two long shark-like fins.

"I've been assigned to collect some plankton from the mer enclosure. We're trying to see if there's a large population of them in the tank."

Aquariums tend to grow their own plankton to place into their enclosures. It's essential for any coral reef environment, as most sea creatures depend on them as a food source. While you haven't had the chance to check out the tank from inside, you assumed there would be several small fish species and coral coexisting with the mers. Just like with sharks, the mers shouldn't feed on the smaller fish if they have been properly fed.

You questioned if that was what the net was for. He nodded, holding it up from the top so you could examine it better. "Yup! It's called a plankton net. Usually they're much bigger than this, but we don't really need such a large net. Those are typically used in larger bodies of water, like the ocean, and they're dragged across the water from a slow-moving boat. They can be used both vertically and horizontally! Pretty cool, right?" he grinned.

You gave Lucas back the robot after he finished explaining the plankton net. You then proceeded to ask him how the robot worked. Lucas was thrilled that you wanted to know more.

He pointed to a little screen on the robot as he explained its features. "Over here"—he tapped several buttons on the screen—"is where we input commands." The screen lit up and you saw an aerial view of the pool. It was simplified into basic grey shapes with various labels . On the map, the robotic fish was marked with a blue symbol of a fish. 

"We can command it to swim in a certain radius by just increasing or decreasing the amount it should swim out." He went ahead and dragged the red circle that was surrounding the robot on the screen, enlarging it. "Now, it should be able to cover a large area and help me collect some plankton." Lucas gestured to the net in his hands. You held SoFi steadily in your hands as he began attaching it to the base of the robot's tail. It looked like the fish had a little parachute behind it. 

You glanced at the screen on the robot. Its programmed radius was slightly protruding outside of the pool boundaries. Would it be able to realize that its route would be blocked by a wall? You figured that was the purpose of the camera on its face. Lucas happily explained more details about SoFi. 

"SoFi is extremely flexible and agile. It's able to control its own buoyancy and movement speed." He demonstrated this by taking the robot from you and started bending its tail side-to-side. It moved just like an actual fish tail. "The two fins on its sides adjusts it for up and down diving. They look like shark fins, which I think is pretty cool," he beamed.

Lucas turned the robotic fish so the front of it was facing towards you. He proceeded to explain the camera on its face. "The camera allows it to take high-resolution pictures and even record videos. It's able to avoid collisions and it can even predict its next movements when it senses something is blocking its path." 

Lucas looked over to the pool before continuing. "Now...we don't really know how the mers will react to SoFi. Other fish don't seem to mind it, but mers are known to be curious when they sense an unfamiliar object entering the water. However, due to how sturdy it is, I'm sure it'll be fine," he spoke confidently. Curious? More like dangerous. Surely that mer that almost bit you knew it was a hand that belonged to a human. He clearly didn't show signs of curiosity but signs of aggression. You didn't really have that much hope for SoFi, as it looked like one bite would be all it took to destroy it.

He deployed the robot into the water. It took a few moments before it submerged itself slightly underwater and started its circular path. SoFi moved slowly enough so that the net could collect enough plankton.

A thought occurred to you. How would Lucas be able to retrieve the robot? The only way to input commands was on the robot itself. You brought up this concern with him. He looked at you confused before the thought occurred to him. "Oh! You're completely right," he said with his eyes wide. "I, uh...there was actually a controller for it but I _kinda_ left it on the counter...whoops." He glanced away, looking slightly embarrassed. You figured that was the case. After all, Lucas did kind of rush to get here.

You pondered for a minute, trying to come up with a way to retrieve SoFi without having to become the mers' next meal. Well, even if you did become live bait, most mers don't like the taste of humans. They're sort of similar to most sharks who sometimes bite out of curiosity or for the sake of protecting themselves. They wouldn't actually go out of their way to feast on human flesh.

"Actually, you know, maybe I should go and get it. I mean, you probably don't want to be diving in there for me right? No worries, I get it! It's totally fine. Mers are serious business." Lucas started dashing off to get the controller. "Be right back!" he yelled behind him.

After he was out of view, you turned your attention back to SoFi. Currently it was near the middle of the pool, still out of reach. You noticed the visitors are no longer there, probably off at another exhibit. You couldn't blame them. There was nothing interesting going on at the moment, aside from plankton collection via robotic fish.

You kept a close eye on SoFi, making sure it was safely doing its job. Things were going smoothly until you saw one of the mers darting through the water. You barely made out the silhouette, but you were able to tell it was the lionfish mer, which was currently heading towards SoFi. They were both at the far ends of the pool but the mer was quickly gaining speed. You didn't know what to do—as SoFi would still be out of reach—but you didn't want Lucas' data collecting to go to waste.

Suddenly, SoFi turned around and quickly accelerated towards your direction. "Quick! Grab it!" you heard a voice from the distance. It was Lucas, running with a controller in hand. You snapped out of your shock, got on your knees, and leaned forward to snatch the robot out of the water with just a few seconds to spare. You quickly backed away from the edge of the pool, SoFi in your clutches, just as the mer was dangerously close to sinking his teeth into the robot. He seemed disappointed that he missed his target and went back underwater.

You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding in. That was a close call for you and SoFi. You examined the robot to see if there were any damages. No scratches or bite marks. You checked the net to see if there were any tears. It was also perfectly fine. You heard footsteps to your right. Lucas caught up to you, out of breath once again. He took a moment to catch his breath.

"Phew! That was close. Are you alright?" Lucas looked you worriedly.

You nodded. You did not feel any wounds on you. Lucas let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that's good. I saw the mer heading towards SoFi and really thought it was going to be a goner! Thankfully I had this with me." Lucas gestured at the controller in his hands. You recognized it to be an old video game controller. Weird. You didn't even know it was possible to hook something like that up to an advanced robot.

You handed SoFi with the plankton net attached to it back to Lucas. He seemed grateful that the robot wasn't damaged in anyway. He thanked you, giving you a grin. He then proceeded to examine the net. "Hm, it seems like the net was able to collect some plankton. Though, we'll have to see how much was actually caught back at the lab. But, thanks again for your help! I really appreciate it." You nodded. It was definitely exciting working with him and the robot. You could certainly tell this job was something you would be looking forward to.

"So,"—Lucas suddenly spoke—"how are things going for ya? Well, besides you almost getting mauled, of course." he asked curiously.

You gave him a defeated look and told him things were off to a rocky start.

"The mers aren't eating, huh? That's odd." Maybe they just aren't a fan of whatever you're giving them," he suggested. He held a hand under his chin as he pondered for a moment. His eyes lit up when he came up with something. "Oh! I know. You could maybe bring this up to the people working in the food prep room. I'm not sure how much they could do for you, to be perfectly honest, but I'm sure they know a bit more about mer diets than me and could prepare them a better meal. They're all pretty nice and it wouldn't hurt to ask!" He spoke with so much optimism. Perhaps you should give it a shot. So far, all of the staff have been pretty friendly and helpful with you.

"Hey! I know someone who's probably the most willing to help you." Lucas quickly pulled up an image of someone on his Communicator, while somehow balancing all of the stuff he was carrying in one arm. Next to the image was a description that displayed the person's name, age, sex, and occupation. 

You moved closer to have a better look at the screen. Your eyes scanned the words.

The man in the picture was named Jason Lau. He was 19 and was currently an intern working on food prep. He had short black hair and was wearing a silver necklace. You weren't able to see the rest of it though due to the photo cutting it out.

Huh, you didn't know the Communicator could display the profiles of the staff. Pretty handy though. It even listed peoples' preferred pronouns. 

You made sure to remember what Jason looked like so you would be able to identify him. However, you didn't really know which direction led you back inside to the staff-restricted areas. While the aquarium had many useful signs and maps around, it was still quite difficult to navigate. You recalled there was a map application installed onto your Communicator. You would probably be fine.

Noticing your silence, Lucas spoke up. "I could accompany you if you want," he offered. "Jason gets extremely... _uncomfortable_ around new people, so it'll probably be best for me to be there to support him, you know," he spoke softly. It seemed the two of them were close friends. You admired that Lucas was looking out for him.

You had no reason to reject his offer, so you agreed. Lucas brightened up at this and was eager to take you to the food prep room. You tried your best to keep up with his pace. He seemed pretty eager to get back inside. You couldn't blame him. You were also slightly shivering from the cold in your uniform jacket. 

* * *

It took the two of you a while to get back into the main buildings. The mer enclosure was located all the way on the other side. Once you made it inside, you were immediately greeted with warm air. You wished this cold weather would end sooner. It was quite a pain to deal with, especially if you were to go diving into the water anytime soon. While wetsuits did keep you warm in the water, it didn't keep you from freezing on land. 

The two of you talked along the way, though it was mainly Lucas who did most of the talking. He discussed all sorts of mer facts with you, even though you knew most of it already. You didn't stop him though. It was wholesome seeing him so passionate about a certain topic. He could probably keep anyone entertained for hours, as long as you didn't mind him rambling, of course. 

One interesting point he did bring up was about how mers breathed. Somehow, they possess both gills and lungs. Like all fish, when brought up to the surface, their gills are unable to support themselves and collapse, causing the animal to suffocate. For a mer, the same thing happens, but they seem to switch to using their lungs instead. However, these lungs are not as strong compared to a human's. They're surprisingly quite weak. Mers would only be able to rely on their lungs for roughly an hour before needing water flowing through their gills again. 

Also, it's important for the mer to not suddenly switch between their two breathing methods. If a mer was suddenly thrown into the water while it was receiving oxygen using its lungs, it would be caught off guard, sending the mer into panic until it's able to readjust itself. The best way to transport a mer from land to water was to slowly and gently lower it so that its gills are submerged, which then the mer will know it's able to breathe in oxygen via water instead. Pretty interesting, right? And this was just the tip of the iceberg. There was still much more for science to discover about mers. 

"Oh, by the way,"—Lucas suddenly spoke—"have you come up with any names for the mers?"

Names? You haven't really given it much thought, really. You were considering calling them something else but you couldn't come up with anything on the spot. You shake your head. You had no idea what to name them.

Lucas thought for a moment before coming up with something. "I was thinking we should name the lionfish mer after my nephew Terry." _Huh, interesting_. It wasn't a bad name, just...unexpected. 

"O-okay, okay. Just hear me out for a second," he said as laughed at your confused expression. "My nephew...he's a pretty feisty kid," he smiled at this memory of his. "When he was younger, he'd resort to biting and scratching whenever it was his bedtime." Lucas chuckled for a moment. "Plus, the mer was incredibly feisty, don't you think?" His reasoning was somewhat ridiculous but also humorous. Why not? The more you thought about it, the name seemed to fit the mer.

He was surprised at how quickly you accepted his suggestion but also flattered. 

You had no idea what to name the other mer, so you let Lucas decide again. "H-Huh? Really?" He wasn't expecting you to give up so easily at naming. You nodded. He seemed to be enjoying this, so why not let him have his fun? 

"Alright, sure! How about we have some cool letters in his name?" Lucas questioned. Cool letters?

"You know...Letters that aren't commonly used? Like z's or x's?" Well, that could work. However, it would be difficult to come up with an interesting name that started with one of those letters.

"How about Zevyll?" Lucas asked. He spelled it out for you when you looked at him confused. "I was thinking, well, since he's a giant manta ray he deserves a cool name, right? It makes him sound like a final boss." You had to admit, it did sound pretty cool. Terry the lionfish mer and Zevyll the manta ray mer. You still weren't used to calling them those names yet, but hopefully they will grow on you.

The two of you were almost at your destination when you heard a voice. "Hey, Lucas?" Somebody from down the hall approached the two of you, causing both of you to stop in your tracks. She had on a lab coat, similar to the one Lucas was wearing. You figured she worked alongside with him and needed a favor from him.

"I've been told to go looking for you. Have you gotten those samples yet? We kinda need them."

Realization dawned on him. He was so focused on helping and talking to you that he forgot about his original task. "Ah, right! Sorry, guess I got a little sidetracked," he said sheepishly. Before he followed her back to the lab, he turned to you and said, "Well, sorry to cut this trip short but just tell Jason that I told you to look for him. If he's not around, I'm sure the others will tell you where he is. Well, good luck!" With a final smile, he waved to you and made his leave.

You pushed open the double doors. As you entered, several employees made eye contact with you. They didn't stare at you for too long as they were too busy concentrating on their work. There were also some robots helping around the room as well, however they did not pay much attention to you.

The little robots were slightly taller than the counters. They had two wheels on each side of their body. The lower section of it was able to rotate, allowing the robot to turn in any direction. Some of them were busy cleaning and picking up any pieces of fish that had dropped onto the floor.

The room was quite spacious, most likely so the robots had more room to move around. There were several refrigerators along one of the walls. Many employees were grabbing frozen fish that was stored inside and were busy thawing them out, weighing them, dicing them up, and placing them into buckets. Others were busy rinsing out containers that were previously used to store fish. In the back, you saw that there was a walk-in freezer, most likely storing the many pounds of food that gets delivered to the aquarium.

  
  


One of the staff set down the container he was washing and approached you. "Hey, do you need something?" he asked as he wiped his hands on a towel. You told him you were looking for someone named Jason Lau.

"Jason?"—a woman piped up—"He collapsed earlier. We carried him to the health center." The health center? The one where the mers were being treated? You did recall seeing a hallway in the back. It probably led to an area where employees could rest.

The man in front of you nodded at her words. "Yeah, we don't really know what happened. It was surprising, to say the least." No kidding. You hoped he was alright. Maybe he was just overworking himself. The man had nothing left to say and went back to the sinks.

Well, it looked like you were on your own now. Fortunately for you, the health center wasn't too far from here. You just had to backtrack a bit.

When you entered the room, you saw a few veterinarians around. They didn't pay much attention to you as they were too focused on their work. They were surrounding one of the surgical tables. You caught a glimpse of what was on it. It looked like they were working on a small shark. The veterinarians were chatting among themselves quietly. 

Meanwhile, you spotted Dr. Soja. She was busy typing away at the laptop on the counter. You called out to her, signaling your presence. She stopped typing for a moment, her eyes shifted to the direction of your voice. She quickly glanced away again and went back to typing.

"Welcome back," she started. Dr. Soja had the same tired expression from three days ago. How hard has she been working herself? "...do you need something?" Her tone was flat. You wondered if this maybe was a bad time. But, you decided backing out would probably be a bad decision. The mers still needed to be fed, after all. 

You told her you were here for Jason Lau. Her movements paused, hands hovering over the keyboard when she heard you say his name. She looked at you suspiciously. "...What do you need him for?" You had no idea why she gave you that look. The only sounds that were currently audible were the quiet whispers of the other veterinarians as well as some of them shuffling around the room with various medical tools and supplies in hand. 

Dr. Soja's staring was starting to make you uncomfortable. There was no reason to lie, so you decided to just be honest. You told her you needed his assistance with the mers. She didn't say anything for a while, contemplating whether or not to believe you. Eventually, she gave in with a sigh. "He's in the back. Follow me." With that, she turned and started leading you into a room down the small corridor. 

You were confused at what just took place. Why was Dr. Soja acting so strange? Does she have something to hide? Best not to pry, that wasn't what you were here for. You made your way to the corridor before hearing one of the veterinarians say to you, "Ah, don't mind her. She's just extremely protective over him."

That was a valid reason, though you still didn't know why she eyed you down like a hawk. 

You caught up with Dr. Soja. She was standing in front of one of the four doors. "He's asleep," she said simply. "I'll explain inside." With that, she turned the knob and pushed open the door quietly. The two of you entered as quietly as possible. It was a pretty small room, with a bed in the corner, a counter with a sink, and several cabinets next to and above it. While veterinarians are obviously not human doctors, you know they're still able to care for other humans. This was probably the purpose of this room. Or, it was just a resting area for employees, you weren't sure. 

Jason was currently fast asleep. He had on the same uniform as you, minus the jacket. His chest slowly rose and fell with each breath he took. Judging by the dark circles that were under his eyes, you guessed he probably wasn't getting enough sleep. You also noticed there was a bandaid on one of his fingers on his right hand.

The veterinarian walked over towards the counter and opened one of the cabinets above the sink. "According to his co-workers, apparently he fainted a few minutes into his shift." Dr. Soja said with her back turned towards you. She was busy searching through the cabinets looking at different bottles of medicine, scanning the labels carefully.

You asked her if this has happened before. "Him fainting? No. It hasn't." Dr. Soja glared at one of the bottles for a moment, before realizing it wasn't the one she was looking for. " _However_ ," she started, "he does have bad sleeping habits. I don't know what he does at night, but if he knows he's going to be tired the next morning, he should be getting some more sleep." You sensed some irritability radiating off of her. You remembered one of the veterinarians telling you that Dr. Soja was quite protective over him. However, she did look incredibly frustrated at him. Despite that, you had a feeling she does show concern for Jason, even though she had an odd way of showing it. 

When she finally found the bottle she was looking for, she handed it to you. "Here, if he wakes up, have him take one of these. Sometimes he has intense headaches due to his lack of sleep." You read the label. It was a bottle of Advil. You figured that cabinet was dedicated for storing other kinds of human medication. Hey, it's always important to have some available.

"He's probably going to refuse it, but make sure he takes one. Tell him that I told you." she said before heading out the room.

Well, this was kind of awkward. What were you supposed to do? Sit there until he wakes up? Surely not. But...waking him would be pretty rude. He seemed extremely exhausted.

You checked the time on your Communicator. It was almost 10 AM. You should really be getting back to the mers if Jason was not going to be waking up anytime soon, but you didn't want to leave him all alone. You looked at how peacefully he seemed to be sleeping. Best not to disturb him if he really needed some rest. Maybe you could ask somebody else? You recalled seeing other workers in the food prep room yesterday. Perhaps one of them could offer you some assistance.

You set the bottle of Advil next to the glass of water on the counter. You were about to reach for the door handle when you heard some rustling. You turned around and saw Jason rubbing his eyes, groaning. He didn't seem to notice you so you stepped closer to the bed. His eyes darted around the room, trying to figure out where he was. He sat up straight on the bed, blinking all of the sleep out of his eyes. You took a seat on the edge of the bed and asked if he was feeling alright.

Jason tensed for a moment before answering. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine..." He seemed like he had more to say but clammed up instantly. You reached over to the counter to grab the bottle of Advil and offered it to him. He immediately looked over when he heard the familiar sound of pills shaking around in the medicine bottle. "Oh, uh...no thanks. I-It's fine. I don't really need it," he waved his hand dismissively. You could tell it was a lie due to how much he was scrunching up his face in pain. You told him that Dr. Soja insisted he took one. He seemed to turn pale as soon as you mentioned the veterinarian.

"She told you, huh?" He looked away for a brief second. "Then...alright." You handed him the bottle. He took it hesitantly. He opened it and shook out a pill into his palm. 

He seemed hesitant. You noticed him stealing a couple of glances at you. You couldn't understand why he wouldn't want to take it. It would make him feel better after all. It looked like your gaze started making him uncomfortable, forcing him to have no choice but to down the tablet with a glass of water. His hand trembled as he brought the glass to his mouth, probably due to nervousness. 

He had some difficulty swallowing the tablet, almost choking on it, but still managed. "Heh, sorry... I'll never get used to doing that..." he trailed off. He looked embarrassed. You decided to reassure him. Swallowing pills isn't an easy task for some. 

Jason nodded, looking sadly and tiredly at his lap. "Yeah, I know...It's kinda why I stopped taking my antidepressants."

Ah, depression. Something that most people end up dealing with in their lives. It's often misunderstood and many just assume those dealing with depression aren't trying hard enough. They believe that they can just heal instantly. You could see how much he seemed to be struggling. The most important thing you could do right now was offer him some company and listen to him, that is, if he was willing to talk about himself. You asked if he wanted to talk about anything. He seemed surprised at your question.

"Oh, well. I appreciate you asking but..."—he struggled with his words—"I'd rather not...share that, if you don't mind." He paused, taking in a breath. "I'm just...tired. That's all, really." Jason looked away. "I've been busy with schoolwork and all that, so...it's kinda a hassle. I'm only an intern, after all." Ah, so college must be really eating at him. You understood that feeling. It's easy to get overwhelmed if you don't balance things out.

You didn't push him any further. It wasn't your business to pry into his life, after all. Jason decided to change the subject. "So, uh, how long have I been out?" You weren't sure if Dr. Soja said what time Jason was brought here. You told him you were uncertain but mentioned it was some time early in his shift. When you said that, Jason looked at the time on his own Communicator. You caught a glimpse at the time and saw it display: **9:59 AM**. It had been nearly an hour since you started working. Time really flies.

"Yikes, hopefully Boss doesn't find out...Speaking of which, I should really get back to work." Jason reluctantly moved to get up. However, you were concerned about his health. Should he really be working in this state? You believed he should at least take some time to rest up some more, just to get some of his energy back. He shook his head, saying that he was fine and that all he needed was just something to eat. Has he been skipping out on food too? You hoped it wasn't a common occurrence.

Well, if he really wanted to go back to preparing food, so be it. You began following him out of the room. Dr. Soja seemed to be elsewhere as you didn't see her on the way out of the health center. You walked with Jason as he was heading his way back to the food prep room. The two of you made some small talk along the way.

"So, you're new here? And you're in charge of two mers? Are you sure you could handle that?" he asked worriedly. "N-Not that I don't think you're capable, or anything, but..." he quickly said after, afraid you'd be offended. You assured him that you didn't take any offense.

You explained to him only one of the mers seemed to be aggressive. As long as you were careful, it shouldn't be too difficult of a task. Just like with most rescue animals, they have to gain the trust of humans. It can take a very long time for animals to develop trust, so it's extremely important not to rush things and to be gentle with the mers. 

"I see. So, uh, could you tell me the type of fish you tried to give them?" He nervously fidgeted with his necklace. You caught a glimpse of it and saw there was a penguin on it. Before you got sidetracked, you thought for a moment, trying to remember what fish was in the bucket. You were pretty sure they were some kind of medium sized grey fish.

"A grey fish? Medium sized too? Hm...that's probably a grey mullet, if I can recall. I believe one of the robots accidentally dropped it off without one of us realizing."

He noticed the confusion on your face. "Oh, right...You wouldn't have known this but apparently there used to be belugas in that tank. The bots probably thought they still needed to deliver food for the belugas." So the tank was being reused by the mers now. What had happened with the belugas? Did they get transferred elsewhere or tragically pass away?

"So, um. What happened after that?" Jason continued.

You told Jason the events that had taken place when you tried to feed the mers. He listened intently and nodded slowly. As you talked, the two of you eventually made it to the food prep room. Both of you stopped in front of the doors to continue the conversation.

"And so one of them ate it and the other refused...Maybe you could feed them something smaller, like crustaceans," he suggested. "I think lionfish and manta rays prefer small fish, crabs, and shrimp." Jason pointed to the doors behind him with his thumb. "I could go send one of the robots to drop the food off once I'm done," he continued. 

With that, Jason disappeared behind the double doors. You decided to head on back to the mer enclosure to wait for the delivery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so, I haven't really finished chapter 4. I've made some progress on it during NaNoWriMo but I haven't wrote anything since because honestly I'm just tired lol. Plus I don't really have any time or motivation. So don't expect an update anytime soon, sorry! It'll take me a while to pick up writing again. I could probably split what I've already wrote in chapter 4 and make it its own chapter, but imo it would feel a bit short. Idk, I'll think about it.
> 
> Anyways, thoughts? Comments? Anything is welcome! Thanks for reading!
> 
> By the way, SoFi is a real robot!  
> http://news.mit.edu/2018/soft-robotic-fish-swims-alongside-real-ones-coral-reefs-0321

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. What do you think? Comments are appreciated. If anyone is interested, I have some art of the mers.


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